Overview

• Two peer-reviewed studies in Astrophysical Journal Letters analyzed four JWST NIRSpec transits of the habitable-zone planet.
• A novel technique separated starspot-driven variability from the planetary signal after more than a year of data correction.
• The spectra exclude a thick carbon-dioxide–dominated atmosphere, while a nitrogen-rich secondary atmosphere and oceans remain plausible.
• The data cannot yet distinguish between an Earth-like atmosphere and a bare rocky world, which the authors rate as roughly equally likely.
• Teams plan to expand to nearly twenty JWST transits in coming years to refine the atmospheric constraints for the 40-light-year system.